Today’s big story is Novaya Gazeta’s article with the transcript of the Russian Football Union (RFU) meeting—it has already been picked apart line by line and quote by quote. But we at the ACF (Anti-Corruption Foundation) noticed something else: Addressing Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin, Yevgeny Giner reveals details about his business in Ukraine:
Crimea’s energy sector, he says, belongs to him. But that is only 15% of his business; the other 85% is in Ukraine. This is very important to us, because Giner is known to be suffering “financially and in every other sense of the word” not alone, but together with his longtime partner, the poorest deputy and our old favorite, Alexander Babakov (code name: “Babachello”).
It is Babakov’s and Giner’s partners whom the Ukrainian media identify as the ultimate beneficiaries of VS Energy, a group of companies involved in everything from energy and metallurgy to the hotel business.
Which Ukrainian made the most money from real estate in 2011?
Giner and Babakov are no strangers to each other in football, either. Babakov once did not even hesitate to call himself a co-owner of CSKA. From the website of United Russia’s Tambov regional branch:
For us, this is further confirmation that Babakov has not exited Ukrainian business, and that Giner is most likely serving as a front for part of his business.
Let me remind you: to Ukrainians, Babachello is rich and a multimillionaire, but in Russia he pays no taxes and, generally speaking, has absolutely nothing to live on—a salary of 2.5 million rubles a year and only a 69-square-meter apartment (about 69 sq. m / 743 sq. ft.) listed for his use. If our Babachello comes under scrutiny and gets hit with European sanctions on top of the existing Canadian ones, the guy will have a hard time. We will not feel the slightest bit sorry for him. After all, according to his disclosure, he owns nothing—so he will lose nothing.
If you want to say: HOW CAN ANYONE CELEBRATE SANCTIONS AGAINST A RUSSIAN CITIZEN?! The answer is simple: under Russian law, he should be in prison for tax evasion, never mind holding a seat in the State Duma. He is a very particular kind of citizen: he pays no taxes here, yet occupies a parliamentary seat.
Incidentally, it is unclear why the local authorities still have not dealt with this. That reflects rather sadly on the current anti-corruption efforts of the new authorities in Kyiv.
As for Giner, whom Yakunin—the lord of fur coats—is threatening not to speak to, we hope everything works out. After all, it would not do for neighbors at their dachas in Akulino not even to greet each other.
Giner’s house: